Our latest RN Externship cohort, boasting 63 senior nursing students from more than 5 states, began on June 1.
“2026 is officially the 2nd largest group the externship has seen in its 35 years of existence, says Julie Tyler, MSN, RN, Professional Development Practitioner. “We are so excited to show these students that they belong here, they can grow here and that their role touches our mission, vision, values, and priority areas every single day.”
The Nurse Externship, part of our Clinical Enrichment Program (CEP), was first approved by the South Dakota Board of Nursing in 1990, and is designed to support nursing students in good academic standing as they transition from the classroom into professional practice. The program provides structured, supervised clinical experience within real patient care environments across the health system, and operates under a partnered approach between Recruitment, Career Development and Advancement, Education and Professional Development and our nursing departments.
A cornerstone of the externship is its 1:1 RN preceptor model, which pairs each student with an experienced registered nurse. This mentorship approach allows externs to apply the nursing process in real-time, developing critical skills under direct supervision.
Throughout the program, participants gain hands-on experience in collecting, documenting and reporting patient data, as well as safely performing delegated nursing tasks in collaboration with licensed RNs. The externship also emphasizes the development of clinical judgment, helping students recognize patient needs and effectively communicate priorities.
In addition to technical competencies, externs are integrated into interdisciplinary care teams, strengthening collaboration and communication skills essential to modern health care delivery. Program leaders also highlight a strong focus on professionalism, ethical practice and accountability — key attributes expected of new graduate nurses entering the workforce. As Jamie Hower, Manager Career Development and Advancement explains, “The externship provides students with as close to a real-life nursing experience as they can receive prior to licensure. Along with gaining hands-on experience with both the art and science of nursing, the externship provides excellent relationship building and networking for the extern — throughout many areas of our organization.”
By combining academic preparation with real-world clinical exposure, Monument Health’s Nurse Externship aims to build a pipeline of confident, practice-ready nurses while supporting the organization’s long-term workforce needs.
Story by Kory Lanphear